Production of magnesium metal

ABSTRACT

A process of producing magnesium metal includes providing magnesium carbonate, and reacting the magnesium carbonate to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. The carbon dioxide is used as a reactant in a second process. In another embodiment of the process, a magnesium silicate is reacted with a caustic material to produce magnesium hydroxide. The magnesium hydroxide is reacted with a source of carbon dioxide to produce magnesium carbonate. The magnesium carbonate is reacted to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. The invention also relates to the magnesium metal produced by the processes described herein.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/566,993, filed Apr. 30, 2004, now abandoned. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. utility application Ser. No. 10/706,583, filed Nov. 12, 2003, now abandoned; and it is a continuation-in-part of U.S. utility application Ser. No. 11/119,536, filed Apr. 29, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,666,250, issued Feb. 23, 2010.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 between the United States Department of Energy and UT-Battelle, LLC.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to processes of producing magnesium metal. The two main methods for producing magnesium metal involve reduction of either the oxide or the chloride. The first of these, known as the Pidgeon process, requires a strong reducing agent (usually silicon or ferrosilicon) and high temperatures (well over 1000° C.). The second route, which until recently was the principal means of magnesium production, relies on the electrolysis of molten magnesium chloride (MgCl₂), which forms molten magnesium metal at the cathode, and chlorine gas at the anode. The magnesium chloride required for the fused salt electrolysis can in turn be produced in several ways. The most direct method involves separation from seawater, or evaporation of natural brines, usually from salt lakes. Alternatively, magnesium chloride can be produced by treating magnesium carbonate (magnesite, MgCO₃), magnesium oxide (magnesia, MgO), or a magnesium silicate (especially serpentine, Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄), with aqueous hydrochloric acid, as in the Magnola process. A process developed by the Australian Magnesium Corporation involves removal of water from hydrated magnesium chloride (bischofite, MgCl₂.6H₂O) by azeotropic distillation with ethylene glycol, following which the magnesium chloride is precipitated from glycol solution as the hexammoniate by treatment with ammonia, and the ammoniate is decomposed to anhydrous magnesium chloride by heating. Yet another alternative process that avoids the need for the dehydration step is carbochlorination, whereby magnesium oxide is reacted with chlorine in the presence of carbon, producing magnesium chloride. A version of this reaction that involves magnesite in place of magnesia was the basis for the operation of a magnesium plant in Alberta, Canada. The direct electrolytic decomposition of MgO to Mg and O₂, in a cell containing an oxide-ion conducting ceramic electrolyte, is also possible (the EIMEx process).

A common feature of current technologies for producing magnesium is the generation of carbon dioxide (CO₂). Thus, production of magnesium chloride from magnesite by either calcination or acid treatment involves the evolution of one mole of CO₂ per mole of magnesium chloride, and if dolomite is used there are two moles of CO₂ produced; the same is also true for the carbochlorination of magnesite. Although the oxygen in the magnesia feedstock for the silicothermic reduction process is removed as silicon dioxide (SiO₂), large quantities of CO₂ are released in the production of the ferrosilicon reductant, and in the generation of the high temperatures that are required for the reaction to proceed.

Thus, it is desirable to develop an improved process of producing magnesium metal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a process of producing magnesium metal. Water may or may not be formed as a byproduct. Magnesium carbonate is provided, and used either to sequester carbon dioxide, and/or to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound can be reacted to produce magnesium metal. Carbon dioxide can be used as a reactant in a second process.

The invention also relates to a process of producing magnesium metal in which a magnesium-containing compound is reacted in an industrial-scale reactor to produce magnesium metal. The process results in substantially no net production of carbon dioxide or chlorine.

The invention also relates to a system for producing at least one of magnesium carbonate and magnesium metal. A first subsystem comprises: (a) a supply of a magnesium silicate entering the first subsystem; (b) reaction apparatus that converts the magnesium silicate to magnesium hydroxide and an alkali-metal silicate with the use of a caustic material; (c) reaction apparatus that converts the magnesium hydroxide to magnesium carbonate with the use of carbon dioxide; and (d) apparatus for exiting the magnesium carbonate from the first subsystem in order to sequester the carbon dioxide in the magnesium carbonate. A second subsystem comprises: (a) apparatus for conveying the magnesium carbonate from the first subsystem to the second subsystem; (b) apparatus for reacting the magnesium carbonate to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide; (c) apparatus for recycling the carbon dioxide from the second subsystem back to the first subsystem; and (d) apparatus for reacting the magnesium-containing compound to produce magnesium metal.

The invention also relates to a system for producing magnesium metal in which a supply of a magnesium silicate enters the system. Reaction apparatus converts the magnesium silicate to magnesium metal, with substantially no net production of carbon dioxide or chlorine. The magnesium metal exits the system as a product.

The invention also relates to a process of producing magnesium metal in which a magnesium silicate is reacted with a caustic material to produce magnesium hydroxide. The magnesium hydroxide is reacted with a source of carbon dioxide to produce magnesium carbonate. The magnesium carbonate is reacted to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. The magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal.

The invention also relates to a process of producing magnesium metal comprising: (a) reacting a magnesium silicate with a caustic material to produce magnesium hydroxide; (b) reacting carbon dioxide with an alkali-metal silicate to produce silica and alkali-metal bicarbonate; (c) reacting the alkali-metal bicarbonate with the magnesium hydroxide to produce alkali-metal carbonate and magnesium carbonate; (d) reacting the alkali-metal carbonate with an alkaline-earth metal hydroxide to form a carbonate of the alkaline-earth metal and a caustic hydroxide of the alkali metal; (e) calcining the alkaline-earth metal carbonate to form an oxide of the alkaline-earth metal and carbon dioxide; (f) reacting the alkaline-earth metal oxide with water to substantially regenerate the alkaline-earth metal hydroxide consumed in step (d); and (g) reacting the magnesium carbonate from step (c) in one or more reaction steps to produce magnesium metal.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a process of producing magnesium metal in which the sodium hydroxide used as a reactant in an initial step of the process is recovered in a later step of the process and recycled. For example, steps 5-7 in FIGS. 1-4 illustrate this use and recovery of sodium hydroxide. The process comprises: (a) reacting a magnesium silicate with sodium hydroxide to produce magnesium hydroxide; (b) reacting the magnesium hydroxide with sodium bicarbonate to produce magnesium carbonate and sodium carbonate; (c) reacting the magnesium carbonate in one or more reactions to produce magnesium metal; (d) reacting the sodium carbonate with a metal hydroxide to produce sodium hydroxide; and (e) recycling the sodium hydroxide from step (d) into step (a). In one embodiment the metal hydroxide of step (d) is calcium hydroxide.

The invention further relates to the magnesium metal produced by any of the above-described processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified flow chart for the production of magnesium carbonate from serpentine by a carbonation process that can be used as part of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified flow chart for the production of magnesium metal from serpentine according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a simplified flow chart for the production of magnesium metal from serpentine according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a simplified flow chart for the production of magnesium metal from serpentine according to a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention relates to an improved process of producing magnesium metal. In some embodiments of the invention, magnesium carbonate is used as a reactant. The magnesium carbonate can be provided in any suitable manner. For example, it can be purchased from a chemical supplier, or it can be provided as the product of a preceding chemical process. FIG. 1 is a flow chart for a chemical process that uses serpentine, caustic soda (NaOH), and CO₂ to produce MgCO₃, SiO₂ and H₂O. FIGS. 2-4 illustrate embodiments of the invention in which magnesium carbonate is provided as a product of the serpentine carbonation process illustrated in FIG. 1. The serpentine carbonation process is discussed in more detail below.

The magnesium carbonate is reacted to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide. Any suitable reactions, co-reactants and reaction conditions can be used. In some embodiments, the magnesium-containing compound is either magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) or magnesium oxide (MgO), the two primary industrial feedstocks for producing magnesium metal by electrolysis or thermal reduction. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the magnesium carbonate is reacted with HCl in step 8 to produce MgCl₂ and carbon dioxide by the reactions:

MgCO₃(s)+2HCl(aq)+5H₂O(aq)→MgCl₂.6H₂O(s)+CO₂(g)  (1)

and

MgCl₂.6H₂O(s)→MgCl₂(s)+6H₂O(aq)  (2)

s=solid, aq=aqueous, g=gas). [Note: The label “MgCl₂” in the rectangle to the right of step 8 in FIG. 2 represents the chloride salt MgCl₂.xH₂O, where x is a number between 0 and 6. The partial/complete dehydration of MgCl₂.6H₂O typically performed prior to electrolysis is not shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of simplicity and generality in graphically representing the processing steps that produce magnesium metal from MgCl₂.6H₂O.] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the MgCO₃+Mg(OH)₂ product stream from step 3 of the serpentine carbonation process is calcined in step 4 to produce MgO, carbon dioxide and water. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the MgCO₃+Mg(OH)₂ product stream from step 3 of the serpentine carbonation process is fully carbonated in step 4 to produce MgCO₃ and water.

In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, the magnesium-containing compound is reacted to produce magnesium metal. Any suitable reactions, co-reactants and reaction conditions can be used. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the MgCl₂ is subjected to electrolysis in step 9 to produce magnesium metal (Mg) and chlorine gas. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the MgO is subjected to hydrolysis in step 8 to produce magnesium metal and oxygen gas. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the MgCO₃ is subjected to hydrolysis in step 8 to produce magnesium metal, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. FIGS. 2-4 show that the serpentine carbonation process, which can be used as part of the invention, is highly compatible with technologies for extracting magnesium metal from MgCl₂.6H₂O, MgO and MgCO₃.

The carbon dioxide that is produced is used as a reactant in another process. Advantageously, this reduces or eliminates the emission of carbon dioxide from the overall process. In some embodiments, the process results in substantially no net production of carbon dioxide. The other process can be any type of process that consumes carbon dioxide. For example, the other process can be a mineral carbonation process. In some embodiments, the carbon dioxide is recycled such that the mineral carbonation process provides the magnesium carbonate that is used as a reactant in the present process.

An example of a mineral carbonation process that can be used in the invention is described in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/706,583, filed Nov. 12, 2003, which is incorporated by reference herein. FIGS. 1-4 show that a mineral carbonation process known as serpentine carbonation can be used to produce magnesium carbonate. This serpentine carbonation process, used as part of the magnesium metal production process of the invention, affords the benefit that complete internal recycling of CO₂ is achieved, thereby decreasing or eliminating the amount of CO₂ emitted to the atmosphere. This stands in marked contrast to conventional magnesium metal production technologies, which emit copious amounts of CO₂.

The mineral carbonation process described in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/706,583 can be used to carbonate many different types of metal-silicate feedstocks, including naturally occurring silicates such as those present in rocks and clay-rich formations, as well as silicates present in industrial waste products such as fly ash and waste concrete. Typically, the metal-silicate feedstock is composed of one or more calcium silicates, magnesium silicates, iron-bearing silicates (such as basalt), or mixtures thereof, although other types of silicates can also be used. (Silicate feedstocks are referred to collectively herein as “metal silicates” with the understanding that this designation includes any natural or man-made material, in the crystalline or amorphous state, that contains at least one metal along with silicon. By this definition, aluminosilicates are metal silicates because they contain a metal, aluminum, along with silicon.)

Natural magnesium-rich silicates include olivine (specifically forsterite, Mg₂SiO₄, and forsteritic olivine, (Mg,Fe)SiO₄), serpentine (Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄), and basalt. Significant masses of olivine- and serpentine-bearing rocks exist around the world, particularly in ultramafic complexes, and in large serpentinite bodies.

In one embodiment of the mineral carbonation process, one or more metal silicates are transformed to one or more solid, alkaline-earth hydroxides by reaction with a caustic alkali-metal hydroxide, such as caustic soda (NaOH), in aqueous solution. In other words, the metal silicate(s) react with the caustic alkali-metal hydroxide to produce a hydroxide of the alkaline-earth metal formerly contained in the silicate. This initial reaction is usually followed by physical and chemical segregation of the produced solid(s) and “depleted” caustic liquid. In addition, it may be desirable to separate the solid, alkaline-earth metal hydroxide(s) from any residual solid silicate and/or oxide material that forms as a byproduct of caustic digestion (e.g., magnetite, Fe₃O₄).

Any suitable concentration of the caustic alkali-metal hydroxide in aqueous solution can be used to decompose the metal-silicate feedstock, including highly concentrated and very dilute solutions. The caustic solution is typically fairly concentrated, comprising, by weight, from about 30% to about 80% alkali-metal hydroxide and from about 20% to about 70% water.

An initial intermediate step in the process (step 2 in FIG. 1) involves reacting carbon dioxide with alkali metal silicate (e.g., Na₂SiO₃) to produce alkali-metal bicarbonate (e.g., NaHCO₃) and/or alkali-metal carbonate (e.g., Na₂CO₃) and silica in either gelatinous or solid form. This step may or may not be followed by precipitation of the NaHCO₃ and/or Na₂CO₃, which could be achieved by shifting the pH of the aqueous solution (removal of CO₂ would tend to make the solution less acidic), or by evaporating off some of the water present.

In a subsequent intermediate step of the process (step 3 in FIG. 1), the alkaline-earth metal hydroxide formed in the first step and the alkali-metal bicarbonate and/or alkali-metal carbonate formed in the previous step are reacted to produce a carbonate of the alkaline-earth metal formerly contained in the metal silicate (generally, some residual, solid unreacted alkaline-earth metal hydroxide will be present after this step). This reaction can be induced at any suitable set of temperature-pressure conditions. After reaction is nearly complete, the liquid and solid reaction products are separated into two streams for further processing.

-   -   The liquid stream, consisting mainly of water, alkali-metal         carbonate, and/or alkali-metal bicarbonate, is reacted with a         metal hydroxide (e.g., Ca(OH)₂) to produce a solid metal         carbonate (e.g., CaCO₃) and a caustic alkali-metal hydroxide         (e.g., NaOH), the latter in aqueous solution (step 5 in FIG. 1).         The caustic aqueous solution is separated from the solid metal         carbonate and recycled back to the first step of the process.         The solid metal carbonate that remains is converted back to a         hydroxide of the metal, first, by calcining the carbonate to         produce an oxide of the metal (e.g., CaO) plus CO₂ (step 6 in         FIG. 1), and second, by reacting the oxide of the metal with         water to reform the hydroxide of the metal (step 7 in FIG. 1).         This metal hydroxide is recycled back to the step discussed         above wherein alkali-metal carbonate and/or alkali-metal         bicarbonate in aqueous solution is reacted with a metal         hydroxide to produce a solid metal carbonate and a caustic         alkali-metal hydroxide in aqueous solution (step 5 in FIG. 1).     -   The solid stream, consisting of a carbonate of a metal and a         hydroxide of the same metal (e.g., MgCO₃+Mg(OH)₂), is reacted         with carbon dioxide to produce additional metal carbonate.         Thus, more generally, the process of carbonating a metal         silicate comprises the steps of: (a) reacting the metal silicate         with a caustic material to produce a hydroxide of the metal; (b)         reacting the metal hydroxide with a source of carbon dioxide to         produce a carbonate of the metal; (c) reconstituting the caustic         material, and recycling it back into step (a); and (d)         recovering and reusing the carbon dioxide produced by calcining         a metal carbonate. The caustic material can be a caustic         alkali-metal hydroxide or any other suitable caustic material.

In each step involving water or an aqueous solution, reaction can be induced at a pressure not greater than about 50 bars above the vapor pressure of pure water for the temperature of that step, typically not greater than about 30 bars, and more typically not greater than about 20 bars, and often not greater than about 10 bars. The initial step may be conducted at a pressure slightly below the vapor pressure of pure water for the temperature of that step. Achieving rapid chemical reaction at low pressure is an advantage because relatively thin-walled pressure chambers will suffice to safely contain the aqueous liquids (±gas) as reaction proceeds. This will reduce the costs of commercial reactors built to implement the process on an industrial scale. Moreover, when total pressure is equal to the vapor pressure of the liquid phase, no investments in expensive pressure-intensifying equipment are required. On the other hand, higher fluid (liquid and/or gas) pressures at each step, particularly the steps in which CO₂ is consumed, could lead to more rapid and efficient chemical reaction, in which case additional capital expenditures to make the carbonation reactor more structurally robust, and to procure suitable pumping equipment, might be cost effective.

More generally, the process of carbonating a metal silicate comprises reacting at least the metal silicate and a source of carbon dioxide to produce a carbonate of the metal, wherein the reaction is conducted at a pressure not greater than about 50 bars above the vapor pressure of pure water for the temperature of the reaction. However, it may be beneficial to pressurize CO₂-bearing gas to a level above the vapor pressure of pure water for the temperature of the step in which it is reacted, prior to, or during, production of metal carbonate(s) and/or metal bicarbonate(s) in order to accelerate rates of carbonation. If CO₂ is captured, separated and liquified by another process, then pressures up to ˜64 atm (the vapor pressure of pure liquid CO₂ at 25° C.) could be achieved simply by throttling flow of CO₂ into the pressure chamber used to achieve carbonation.

In each step of the process, the extent to which aqueous liquids are agitated or stirred, and control of the proportions of phases as reaction proceeds, can be varied.

More generally, the process of carbonating a metal silicate comprises the steps of: (a) reacting the metal silicate with a caustic alkali-metal hydroxide to produce a hydroxide of the metal formerly contained in the silicate; and (b) reacting the metal hydroxide with a source of carbon dioxide to produce a carbonate of the metal formerly contained in the metal silicate of step (a). A process of producing a metal carbonate comprises reacting a metal hydroxide with at least one of an alkali-metal carbonate, an alkali-metal bicarbonate, and carbon dioxide, to produce a carbonate of the metal formerly contained in the metal hydroxide.

Reaction pathways for producing magnesium carbonate from the magnesium-rich minerals olivine (specifically forsterite, Mg₂SiO₄) and serpentine are shown below (s=solid, aq=aqueous solution, g=gas). The Reactions (10)-(16) for carbonating serpentine are also illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 as steps 1-4.

In Reaction (10), no heat pretreatment of the serpentine is required to achieve rapid and efficient production of Mg(OH)₂. This contrasts sharply with the so-called “direct” method for carbonating serpentine (by the reaction Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄+3CO₂→3MgCO₃+2SiO₂+2H₂O), which requires heat pretreatment of the serpentine at ˜600° C. to drive off structurally bound water. This extra step is necessary in the direct method of carbonating serpentine because untreated (hydroxylated) serpentine reacts sluggishly with CO₂, whereas “dewatered” (dehydroxylated) serpentine is much more reactive. Dehydroxylation of serpentine makes the direct carbonation method very energy intensive and costly. In this regard, it is also noteworthy that the present process, as applied to either olivine or serpentine, largely conserves the “rock solvent” (e.g., NaOH), which lowers overall processing costs. By contrast, in the direct method for carbonating olivine and serpentine, the rock solvent is (effectively) compressed, supercritical CO₂, which is expensive to create due to the high capital and operating costs of the mechanical pumping that is required to achieve fluid pressures as high as 185 atm.

It should be understood that the chemical formulae for the solutes (substances dissolved in aqueous solution) in Reactions (3)-(5), (7), (10)-(12) and (14) (specifically NaOH, NaHCO₃, and Na₂SiO₃) represent stoichiometric components in aqueous solution, not “real” aqueous species. This convention was adopted for the sake of generality and simplicity. The particular species in aqueous solution created by the process (presently unknown) are of considerable scientific interest; however, they need not be represented explicitly in sets of process reactions such as those above, because the solids that form and disappear in each process reaction, as well as the net carbonation reaction for each metal silicate, do not depend on the chemical formulae that are used to represent the compositions of solutes. A simple example illustrates this point. In Reactions (3)-(5), the stoichiometric components NaOH, Na₂SiO₃ and NaHCO₃ and Na₂CO₃ can be replaced by the ionic species OH⁻, SiO(OH)₃ ⁻, HCO₃ ⁻ and CO₂ ²⁻ with sodium ion and calcium-bearing solids omitted because there is no net consumption or production of either in the overall carbonation process. This leads to the following alternative carbonation pathway for olivine (forsterite):

Mg₂SiO₄(s)+OH⁻(aq)+3H₂O(aq)→2Mg(OH)₂(s)+SiO(OH)₃ ⁻(aq)  (17)

SiO(OH)₃ ⁻(aq)+CO₂(g)→SiO₂(s)+HCO₃ ⁻(aq)+H₂O(aq)  (18)

Mg(OH)₂(s)+2HCO₃ ⁻(aq)→MgCO₃(s)+CO₃ ²⁻(aq)+2H₂O(aq)  (19)

CO₃ ²⁻(aq)+H₂O(aq)→HCO₃ ⁻(aq)+OH⁻(aq)  (20)

Mg(OH)₂(s)+CO₂(g)→MgCO₃(s)+H₂O(aq)  (21)

[Net reaction: Mg₂SiO₄(s)+2CO₂(g)→2MgCO₃(s)+SiO₂(s)].

Comparing Reactions (17)-(21) with Reactions (3)-(9), it is evident that the solids consumed and produced, and the net reaction, are identical. Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the scope of the process for carbonating metal silicates includes various self-consistent sets of reactions—i.e., sets of reactions involving the same solids, with metal silicate digestion by one or more caustic metal hydroxides (such as NaOH)—wherein solutes are represented by aqueous species of varying composition and charge, rather than by stoichiometric components.

In another embodiment, the process provides a means for carbonating magnesium and iron silicates in two steps. In step 1, the metal silicate(s) is (are) converted to Mg(OH)₂ and/or iron hydroxides(s)+Na₂SiO₃±SiO₂ by reaction with caustic soda in aqueous solution. When this conversion is essentially complete, carbonation of Mg(OH)₂ and/or iron hydroxide(s) is (are) achieved by injecting CO₂ into the aqueous solution to form NaHCO₃ (±Na₂CO₃)+silica gel and/or solid silica (step 2). MgCO₃ and FeCO₃ are formed when the Mg(OH)₂ and iron hydroxide(s) produced in step 1 react(s) with NaHCO₃ (±Na₂CO₃) and/or CO₂. Physical and/or chemical segregation of solids and liquids is not required in the two-step process for carbonating Mg- and Fe-rich silicates.

In one embodiment, the invention relates to a process of producing magnesium metal in which the sodium hydroxide used as a reactant in an initial step of the process is recovered in a later step of the process and recycled. For example, steps 5-7 in FIGS. 1-4 illustrate this use and recovery of sodium hydroxide. The process comprises: (a) reacting a magnesium silicate with sodium hydroxide to produce magnesium hydroxide; (b) reacting the magnesium hydroxide with sodium bicarbonate to produce magnesium carbonate and sodium carbonate; (c) reacting the magnesium carbonate in one or more reactions to produce magnesium metal; (d) reacting the sodium carbonate with a metal hydroxide to produce sodium hydroxide; and (e) recycling the sodium hydroxide from step (d) into step (a). In one embodiment the metal hydroxide of step (d) is calcium hydroxide.

As described above, when the mineral carbonation process, or another process that uses carbon dioxide as a reactant, is used as part of the process of producing magnesium metal according to the invention, the emission of carbon dioxide from the overall process can be reduced or eliminated. It should further be noted that the process of producing magnesium metal can be practiced with no net production of chlorine, in contrast to many industrial magnesium manufacturing processes that produce undesirable amounts of chlorine. For example, in FIG. 2 it is shown that the chlorine produced in step 9 of the process is recycled as a reactant (HCl) in step 8 of the process, thereby avoiding release of chlorine from the process. Thus, more generally, the invention relates to a process of producing magnesium metal comprising reacting a magnesium-containing compound in an industrial-scale reactor to produce magnesium metal, the resulting process resulting in substantially no release of carbon dioxide or chlorine.

As illustrated, for example in FIGS. 2-4, in some embodiments the process includes a reaction that produces silicon dioxide. Further, in some embodiments the process results in substantially no net production of any materials besides magnesium metal, water, oxygen, and silicon dioxide.

Although the invention has been illustrated with respect to specific reactions and processes, the invention also includes other reactions and processes that achieve these results.

The invention also relates generally to a system for producing magnesium metal. The system includes a supply of a magnesium silicate entering the system. For example, a supply of magnesium silicate ore is transported by rail or trucks to a manufacturing plant, where it is used as the feedstock for the magnesium metal manufacturing process of the invention. The system also includes reaction apparatus which converts the magnesium silicate to the magnesium metal, with substantially no net production or release of carbon dioxide or chlorine. The reaction apparatus includes one or more reactors and related equipment, reactants, and other materials used to carry out the magnesium metal production. In some embodiments, the reaction apparatus produces magnesium carbonate as an intermediate product between the magnesium silicate and the magnesium metal, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2-4. The system further includes the magnesium metal product, which exits the system for use or sale.

When the mineral carbonation process is used as part of the magnesium metal production process of the invention, a manufacturing plant can be set up that has flexibility in producing either magnesium carbonate or magnesium metal. For example, if it is more attractive economically to use the plant to sequester carbon dioxide, the plant can receive a supply of carbon dioxide and use the mineral carbonation process to sequester the carbon dioxide by producing magnesium carbonate. The magnesium carbonate can then be disposed of by burial or other means. Alternatively, if it is more attractive economically to use the plant to produce magnesium metal, the mineral carbonation process can be used to produce magnesium carbonate (±magnesium hydroxide), and then the magnesium carbonate (±magnesium hydroxide) can be used as a feedstock for producing magnesium metal as described above. The carbon dioxide produced during the production of the magnesium metal is recycled as a reactant into the mineral carbonation process, so that the process does not emit carbon dioxide. As another alternative, the manufacturing plant can be used partially to sequester carbon dioxide and partially to produce magnesium metal.

Thus, the invention relates to a system for alternatively producing magnesium carbonate (to sequester carbon dioxide) and/or magnesium metal. The system includes a first subsystem comprising: (a) a supply of a magnesium silicate entering the first subsystem; (b) reaction apparatus that converts the magnesium silicate to magnesium hydroxide and an alkali-metal silicate with the use of a caustic material; (c) reaction apparatus that converts the magnesium hydroxide to magnesium carbonate with the use of carbon dioxide; and (c) apparatus for exiting the magnesium carbonate from the first subsystem in order to sequester the carbon dioxide in the magnesium carbonate. The system also includes a second subsystem comprising: (a) apparatus for conveying the magnesium carbonate from the first subsystem to the second subsystem; (b) apparatus for reacting the magnesium carbonate to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide; (c) apparatus for recycling the carbon dioxide from the second subsystem back to the first subsystem; and (d) apparatus for reacting the magnesium-containing compound to produce magnesium metal. The second subsystem may be turned on to produce the magnesium metal, and turned off when the magnesium carbonate is used to sequester carbon dioxide. Preferably, when the second subsystem is turned on, the system results in substantially no net production or release of carbon dioxide or chlorine.

The invention further relates to a process for producing magnesium metal or a magnesium compound where, after building up an initial inventory of carbon dioxide, in principle, and substantially in practice, an external source of carbon dioxide is only used to replace small amounts of “lost” carbon dioxide, and/or to increase the scale of production activity. When the process does use carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide is largely generated by the process and recycled for use within the process, thereby largely eliminating the need for an external source. For example, FIGS. 2-4 show the generation and recycling of carbon dioxide within the magnesium production processes. Although this embodiment of the invention has been illustrated with respect to the production of magnesium metal, the invention is also applicable to processes of producing different magnesium compounds.

In another embodiment, a process of producing magnesium metal comprises the steps of: (a) reacting a magnesium silicate with a caustic material to produce magnesium hydroxide; (b) calcining the magnesium hydroxide to magnesium oxide;

and (c) forming magnesium metal electrolytically from the magnesium oxide.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, serpentine is a preferred magnesium silicate for use in the magnesium metal production process of the invention. Serpentine occurs widely on all continents and ocean floors, and is not currently used as a magnesium ore. However, because it is extremely rich in magnesium, contains no carbon or chlorine, and is more abundant naturally than three heavily exploited magnesium ores—dolomite (MgCO₃.CaCO₃), bischofite (MgCl₂.6H₂O) and carnallite (MgCl₂.KCl.6H₂O)—serpentine has the potential to become an inexpensive and environmentally benign source of huge amounts of magnesium metal.

With its numerous advantages over alternative magnesium ore-processing technologies—including the use of an abundant magnesium resource that is not currently being exploited, with minimal net production of CO₂, and substantially no release of CO₂ or chlorine—the process of the invention has the potential to significantly increase world production of magnesium.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles and modes of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiments. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained without departing from its spirit or scope. 

1. A system for producing magnesium metal comprising: a supply of a magnesium silicate entering the system; reaction apparatus which converts the magnesium silicate to magnesium metal, with substantially no net production of carbon dioxide or chlorine; the magnesium metal exiting the system as a product; and the reaction apparatus in a later step of the process produces carbon dioxide that is recycled back to an earlier step of the process so that the overall process has substantially no net production of carbon dioxide.
 2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the magnesium silicate comprises serpentine and/or olivine.
 3. A system for producing at least one of magnesium carbonate and magnesium metal comprising: a first subsystem comprising: (a) a supply of a magnesium silicate entering the first subsystem; (b) reaction apparatus that converts the magnesium silicate to magnesium hydroxide and an alkali-metal silicate with the use of a caustic material; (c) reaction apparatus that converts the magnesium hydroxide to magnesium carbonate with the use of carbon dioxide; and (d) apparatus for exiting the magnesium carbonate from the first subsystem in order to sequester the carbon dioxide in the magnesium carbonate; and a second subsystem comprising: (a) apparatus for conveying the magnesium carbonate from the first subsystem to the second subsystem; (b) apparatus for reacting the magnesium carbonate to produce a magnesium-containing compound and carbon dioxide; (c) apparatus for recycling the carbon dioxide from the second subsystem to the first subsystem; and (d) apparatus for reacting the magnesium-containing compound to produce magnesium metal.
 4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the second subsystem is turned on to produce the magnesium metal, and turned off to produce the magnesium carbonate.
 5. The system according to claim 4 wherein, when the second subsystem is turned on, the system results in substantially no net production of carbon dioxide.
 6. The system according to claim 3 wherein the magnesium silicate comprises serpentine and/or olivine. 